RICHARD HAWLEY introduced us into the Britain's most influential guitarist - Bert Weedon, the man behind the iconic tutor book that helped millions to play - on Radio 2's The Teacher of Rock And Roll

Bert Weedon was the modest author of guitar book Play In A Day [GETTY]

Who do you think is the most influential guitarist in this history of British rock 'n' roll? George Harrison? Eric Clapton? Pete Townshend? That was the question Richard Hawley asked at the beginning of Bert Weedon: The Teacher Of Rock And Roll (Radio 2, Monday).

The programme's title gives away the name he had in mind. Weedon was a guitar teacher and author of Play In A Day, the tutor book that helped millions learn to play.

When Weedon died in April 2012, the tributes came flooding in and it emerged just how influential he had been. This documentary, part of Radio 2's ongoing Guitar Season, told the story of how he taught the country, not just to play the guitar, but to fall in love with its sound.

In clips from an interview given just before his death, Weedon told his own story, from buying his first instrument for about 75p to forming his own band, Bert Weedon And His Harlem Hot Shots (he didn't know where Harlem was at the time) to playing with the rock 'n' roll greats.

Richard Hawley filled in the gaps in his beautiful Sheffield burr and there were interviews with those who knew Weedon, including Joe Brown and Marty Wilde, and those he had influenced.

I liked the story of his first teacher, a Mr Newell. Weedon wanted to learn jazz guitar like his hero Django Reinhardt but, for a shilling a lesson, he was taught classical instead and fell in love with it.

By the 1950s teenagers were scraping their money together to buy cheap acoustic guitars and play in skiffle bands.

Who would teach them? Weedon was approached by a publishing company to write a guide to how to play and his first was published in 1957. It taught readers to play country style and rock 'n' roll with pictures showing how to form the chords.

This was a really lovely programme. Nostalgic, informative and inspiring. Those who Weedon says personally told him that they had started learning the guitar with his book include Sting, Mike Oldfield, Phil Collins, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler.

I have never progressed past three chords, myself. Maybe I should give it a go?